An Interview with Sara Ellis, Senior Level Insurance Investigator
by leytonunit930
Summary: Senior Level Insurance Investigator, Sara Ellis, just celebrated her 10 year anniversary working at Sterling Bosch. In this interview, she reflects on those 10 years, one very special case, and even gives us an insight to her personal life.


**Good morning Ms. Ellis! Thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to meet with us.**

Not a problem. I've never really been interviewed before so this is exciting!

**So you were just awarded last week for your 10 year anniversary for working for Sterling Bosch. How does that feel?**

It's hard to believe that it has been 10 years since I've started working there. It seems like just yesterday I just started.

**A lot can happen in ten years…**

Yes! [Sara blushes] I still remember working one of my first cases: the stolen Raphael…

**St. George and the Dragon, correct?**

Yes, I had just started and I was very ambitious in trying to make a name for myself with the company.

**This case was a special one for you.**

Yes, Very special. You see I finally nailed down who I believed had stolen that painting, but because I work in recovery, none of that mattered unless I had the actual painting! Imean, I worked my ass off! (Oops! Can I say ass?) Anyways, I'm talking about following every lead I got- no matter how obscure. I even went dumpster diving behind this hole in the wall café to find this tiny scrap from an envelope that maybe had some relevant information. Anyways, the person that I suspected stole and had this painting was put on trial for bond forgery. I testified at their trial for this stolen painting and I went after them with all that I had!

**Ultimately, Sterling Bosch did end up recovering the painting. **

Yes, three years ago we recovered and authenticated the painting.

**With Mr. Neal Caffrey as the authenticator? **

Well, he is the best and Raphael is one of his specialties.

**But isn't it that Mr. Caffrey was the bond forger on trial as well as your primary suspect who had the painting?**

He was, but it was actually with Mr. Caffrey's help that we were able to recover such painting. Strange how things work out [Sara smiles knowingly]

**And ever since then you've worked with the FBI and Mr. Caffrey on different recovery projects?**

Actually we first started working together before that. We worked on the case of the lost Japanese samurai bonds and I guess you could say the rest is history [Sara laughs].

**Is it strange to work with someone who you once testified against?**

You know, I have been known to be quick to judge. However, I will admit that I was wrong about Neal Caffrey. Obviously, people change, and Neal has changed from when I first testified against him. But to answer your question: It's not strange to work with Neal even though I testified against him. I would say we have definitely moved past that [Sara laughs].

**We'll return back to working at Sterling Bosch, but let's talk about what you like to do for fun when you're not working.**

You know once upon a time I would tell you that for me working was fun because working was my life. But a very wise and good friend of mine told me that I needed to get a life. So I did [laughs]. When I'm not working, I enjoy playing my cello, reading some mystery novels, and traveling. My boyfriend is trying to teach me how to cook, but it isn't going well [laughs].

**Really?**

Yup! You see I'm very precise and I would much rather follow a recipe because then I would follow it to a T. But my boyfriend does not follow recipes [laughs]. He's more of a person who just makes it up as he goes along. I mean he'll taste it and just add spices on the fly. Like how does he know which spices to use? [laughs] He doesn't even use a measuring cup! So yea, he's insistent on teaching me how to cook, but to be honest I would rather just eat what he makes!

**Any future traveling plans coming up?**

Actually, yes! We just finalized it last night, but we are going to the Palazzo Sasso in Italy. It's a special place that means a lot to my boyfriend and I've never been! I've only heard fantastic things so I'm very excited!

**That sounds amazing! You definitely deserve it after the busy year that you have had. **

Too true!

**In the beginning of the year, you moved back to New York from London. **

You know as beautiful as London is, it's no New York. I was looking for….something in London, but it wasn't there. Plus, I did not get to go into the field as much working for the London branch.

**And you couldn't use your baton!**

Exactly. [laughs] And you know how much I love my baton! But yes, there was an opportunity for me to return- and I jumped on it!

**You actually were on a leave from Sterling Bosch for two months as soon as you go back to New York to help out the FBI's division, White Collar, right?**

Yup, never a dull day in White Collar! I actually was called in by a close friend of mine, ASAC Peter Burke, as a personal favor and that man knows I can never say no to him!

**You were part of the special forces team created in finding CI Neal Caffrey.**

I was. You know in my line of work and in the FBI's line, you make enemies and most of the time you're perceived as the bad guy.

**Most of the time you work in recovery of items. What was it like working in the recovery of a missing person?**

Hard, very hard! Both from the professional and personal perspective. You know, everyone working on this case knew Neal and were emotionally invested…. and in a kidnapped case, you cannot let those emotions get in the way of your work. It involved a lot of late nights and really bad FBI coffee (Sorry, Peter!). But we forgot about all of those things once we found Neal and saw that he was ok. I was stationed at the office and heard from my receiver Agent Berrigan saying, we found him. He's alive. He's ok. [Sara wipes a tear] Sorry. As you can see, it's still something very emotional for me.

**Obviously we cannot talk about details pertaining to the case, but we've heard that Mr. Neal Caffrey is doing well after the incident and is actually back to work at the FBI. Have you worked together since your return from London?**

Yes, we've definitely worked together [laughs] and it's funny because nothing has changed. We make a pretty good team.

**Why do you like working at Sterling Bosch?**

They gave me the baton! [laughs] Seriously though, I like the challenge. I'm one of the few female insurance investigators and when I first started, people looked and treated me like I was some barbie doll who woke up one day and said, "I'm gonna be an insurance investigator" and did it. But actually I went into Sterling Bosch because I studied art history in college. I liked being able to use my degree in this line of work. Each case is like a puzzle and so you know you have to try to piece everything together. I mean it can be frustrating because sometimes I'm not taken seriously because I'm a girl and it should not be that way. I guess over the years that's made me come across as very cold and cynical and I promise I'm not like that all the time! [laughs] But I like my job and I like doing it well and all of that is important to me.

**Sara, are you still a workaholic?**

Absolutely! [laughs] But, so are the rest of the people in my life! I definitely have a better balance now and work, while important, is not the number one thing in my life. I'm a weirdo because I love paperwork, but I'll definitely choose going to a dinner party with my friends or going to an exhibit with my boyfriend over it. And that's something I honestly could not say before.

**We approve of the boy- he has you smiling!**

That he does! I used to joke that he smiled for a living, and now look at me! He's someone who I have a lot of respect for. He has a big heart and he's incredibly loyal. I think one of the reasons why we work is that we both know what it's like to be misjudged by others. I come across as frigid, he comes across as full of himself, and the list goes on. Even before we got together, a part of us knew that there was more to that person than what meets the eye- and we were right.

**Any wedding bells in the future?**

You know people probably wouldn't think of either of us as the marrying type….I'll go with this: my lips are sealed [Sara blushes and smiles].

**One last question-where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?**

Gosh, that's hard! Let's say in the middle of the clouds and 69th street! [laughs, sees my confused face] Sorry, that's all you'll get from me!


End file.
